Participants: Charles Byrd (Host), Andrea Endries, Levi Longoria, Stephen Fowler
Series Code: THL
Program Code: THL000011
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00:07 There's a mountain considered sacred in Jewish history
00:11 but it seems we've lost its coordinates. 00:14 Some say it's in the Sinai Peninsula. 00:18 Others have come to believe 00:20 that it's in the desert of Saudi Arabia. 00:23 Wherever it is, inspiration tells us that 00:26 this mountain is the backdrop for the day love thundered. 00:32 The book of Exodus is such an exciting book in the Bible 00:35 because it reveals the deity who is a personal God. 00:39 One who cares about His creation. 00:42 One who's interested in their personal lives and happiness. 00:47 Exodus presents a God who actually talks with people, 00:51 not only with one exalted person but millions of people. 00:55 Indeed it was the very purpose of God 00:58 for all the people to hear His voice and know Him. 01:03 "And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee 01:06 in a thick cloud that the people may hear 01:10 when I speak and believe." 01:14 God shows this mountain as His podium 01:17 and the surrounding desert plain as His amphitheater. 01:21 And the thunder from this momentous event 01:23 still wraps our world in His embrace. 02:21 The disciple John, the only disciple 02:24 that did not die a martyr's death, 02:26 declared in 1 John 4:8, "God is love." 02:32 God is love and all He does is motivated by love, 02:36 a love for the lost and dying. 02:39 "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. 02:43 Therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." 02:48 That desert mountain is important, 02:50 not so much for where it is but for what happened there. 02:54 I believe this is the place love thundered. 02:59 Thanks, Charles. 03:01 Thunder in the Holy land has been and continues to be 03:04 a study about the teachings and life of Jesus. 03:08 Many people who take the name of Christ, 03:10 Christian, have been lead to believe 03:13 that the commandments given by Jehovah 03:15 at Mount Sinai were done away with at the cross 03:18 and are no longer binding for New Testament believers. 03:22 However, to come to that conclusion 03:24 one must turn a blind eye to the clear 03:27 and direct doctrines and teachings of Christ. 03:31 So what did Jesus teach about the law? 03:34 Let's check it out in Matthew 5:17, 18. 03:37 "Think not that I am come to destroy 03:40 the law, or the prophets. 03:42 I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. 03:46 For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, 03:49 one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass 03:53 from the law, till all be fulfilled." 03:57 A simple bit of scientific observation should lead us 04:01 to determine that heaven and earth are still here. 04:04 Our conclusion then must be that the law still here, 04:07 valid and important in the mind of Jesus. 04:11 But in these verses Jesus used the words 04:13 "fulfil" and "fulfilled." 04:17 That's the apparent escape clause and some of you 04:19 feel jealous in god's love 04:21 from their present religious experience. 04:23 They claim that Christ fulfilled the law 04:26 when He died on the cross. 04:28 However, complete reading of the Bible 04:30 including the writings of the Apostle Paul 04:33 indicate something very different. 04:36 For the purpose of Jesus coming and dying on the cross 04:39 wasn't merely to do something for us 04:42 that we couldn't do for ourselves 04:44 keeping the law but He also came to show us 04:47 the way it could be done in us. 04:50 Notice carefully the teachings of Paul 04:53 to the New Testament believers 04:54 that New Dispensation believers in Romans 8: 3, 4. 05:19 Notice that Paul fully intended 05:21 the law to also be fulfilled in us. 05:24 It seems strange to get rid of something you intend 05:26 to have played out in the lives of your followers. 05:29 The law given to God's chosen people 05:32 at the foot of Mount Sinai was a good thing. 05:35 It guided the people into the way of life. 05:38 In fact, apart from the folks in Rome 05:40 that the law was holy and the commandment 05:43 was holy and just and good. 05:47 On the same note, Paul wrote to Timothy these words, 05:50 "We know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully." 05:55 At the foot of Mount Sinai God gave the people 05:57 a good law written in stone to guide them into a good place. 06:02 And Jesus clearly wants that law to be fulfilled in us. 06:08 You're right, Levi. 06:10 The eternal nature of God's law is clearly laid out 06:12 in the words of Jesus in Luke 16:17. 06:15 "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, 06:18 than one tittle of the law to fail." 06:20 And there's a reason you can't get rid of God's law 06:23 because if you did, you'd also get rid of His love. 06:26 In fact, one experience Jesus had with the lawyer 06:29 points out what the heart of the law really is. 06:32 This lawyer actually used a question, tempting Him. 06:35 You can read about it in Matthew 22:36. 06:38 "Teacher," the lawyer asked, 06:39 "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 06:42 Out of 613 laws in the Torah, 06:45 what law could Jesus possibly choose as the most important? 07:05 These important words of Christ reveal the bedrock, 07:08 the cornerstone of His divine moral law 07:11 and all prophetic utterance, love. 07:15 If we dismiss God's law, de facto dismissing His love. 07:19 For Jesus said in verse 40. 07:25 Did you know that the Ten Commandments 07:26 were divided into two parts or divisions? 07:29 In these two parts are the two laws 07:31 that Jesus said were the greatest laws. 07:33 In the first four commandments of the Decalogue 07:35 referred to are vertical relationship with God Himself. 07:38 And these four laws rest on the first and great commandment, 07:41 that is to love God with all our hearts. 07:44 The last six commandments of the moral law 07:46 are horizontal or laws dealing 07:48 with our relationships with one another. 07:50 These commandments are rooted in the second commandment 07:53 that says, "We should love our neighbors as ourselves." 07:57 Jesus fully endorsed the law and he made it the bases 08:00 of our love relationship with divinity in John 15:10. 08:11 Jesus saw the moral law as a guide for all mankind. 08:14 For He said in Matthew 4:4. 08:23 It was this law that proceeded from His mouth on Mount Sinai. 08:26 And it was this law that guided Christ 08:28 while living as a man here on earth. 08:39 The doctrine of Jesus clearly establishes the moral law. 08:42 And He states that He obeyed it. 08:44 And Jesus clearly taught that if we want to remain 08:46 under the shadow of His love, 08:48 we must keep His commandments also. 08:51 It is this law that prepares us for successful living here 08:54 and for living in heaven at last. 08:56 Heaven and earth were still here, 08:58 fully functioning and so is his immutable law. 09:03 That's true, Stephen. 09:04 God's law is immutable. 09:07 Immutable means unchanging over time or unable to be changed. 09:11 There are some things that can't change. 09:14 For example, it's true that you can't live without blood. 09:19 This is an immutable fact. 09:22 Another parallel doctrine of Jesus was 09:24 that He and the Father are one. 09:27 Jesus told Philip that to see Him was to see the Father. 09:32 They are the same. 09:34 Did you know the same is true regarding God and His law? 09:38 God and His law are also insufferable. 09:41 If you want to know what God is like, 09:44 you need to know His law. 09:46 They are the same. 09:48 You see, to know the law is to know God. 09:52 It is the written version of His character. 09:56 Now that took a little cross-referencing. 09:58 But to make sure this point is crystal clear, 10:01 let's consider one of the teachings 10:03 of Jesus from Revelation 12:17. 10:06 This verse describes a people 10:08 from the new dispensation in conflict with Satan. 10:12 In this battle they are not wearing uniforms. 10:15 So let's look carefully at the distinguishing 10:17 mark of God's true followers. 10:33 If the moral law was done away with 10:35 because it cannot be kept then why would God's remnant people, 10:39 the one Satan hates and wars against in these last days, 10:43 be keeping the law? 10:46 God's law is indeed unchangeable and eternal. 10:52 It's true, Andrea. 10:53 God's moral law is still as eternal 10:56 and unchangeable as it was the day 10:58 He thundered those words from Mount Sinai. 11:02 So why is it that so many churches 11:05 and pastors preach and teach that the law was eliminated? 11:09 The answer to that question is simple. 11:12 They misinterpret Colossians 2:14. 11:15 But you don't need a degree to understand this verse. 11:18 If you allow the Bible to interpret itself, 11:22 careful study reveals that though the Jews 11:24 used one word "law," in their mind it had different meanings. 11:29 It could mean the moral law, the Ten Commandments, 11:32 or it could mean laws regarding our health. 11:35 There was also a division of law just for social issues. 11:39 And then there were the ceremonial laws 11:42 dealing with the temple and worship. 11:45 In many cases only context will tell you 11:48 which law is being referred to since they all use the word law. 11:54 Without understanding, let's take a look at this verse 11:57 that is so often employed to push 12:00 the moral law out of the Christian experience. 12:03 Colossians 2:14 says. 12:15 Now remember, a text without a context is a pretext. 12:20 The broader context of Jesus' life tells us 12:24 that He was very supportive of the moral law. 12:27 This larger context is not lost 12:30 or broken at all in the writings of Paul. 12:33 If you look again at the verse in Colossians, 12:36 you will find the Ten Commandments even mentioned. 12:39 The verse says. 12:52 If you compare scripture with scripture, 12:54 you'll discover that there was a law 12:56 mentioned in Deuteronomy 31: 24 and 26. 13:00 That contains the key elements 13:01 that are mentioned in Colossians 2:14. 13:05 These elements are, one, "handwriting" 13:08 and two, "against us." 13:11 Now let's look at Deuteronomy 31. 13:22 Notice this law was not written with the finger of God 13:25 on stone but was the handwriting of Moses in a book. 13:30 Then Moses told the Levites. 13:42 Notice this verse calls at law but this law was not put 13:46 inside the ark with the Ten Commandments 13:48 but in the side of or beside the ark. 13:52 And this law was a witness against the people. 13:56 The law that was nailed to the cross in Colossians 13:59 was the law contained in ordinances, 14:03 not the moral law which had been written with the finger of God. 14:08 So if the law Paul is talking about 14:11 was not the moral law but the ordinances, 14:14 what law was it that was nailed to the cross? 14:18 To discover that we need to look at the context 14:21 and let's start at Colossians 2:16, 14:24 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat," 14:27 which were offerings, "or in drink," 14:30 which were also offerings, "or in respect of an holyday," 14:34 or holydays, "or of the new moon," 14:37 these were Jewish festivals, 14:39 "or of the ceremonial Sabbath days," 14:41 like Passover, etc. 14:43 These items in verse 16, 14:46 "which are a shadow of things to come," 14:49 are all descriptions of the ceremonial law. 14:53 You see, the ceremonial laws 14:54 were a shadow of things to come, namely, Christ. 14:59 That's why it was nailed to the cross because 15:02 everything about the sanctuary service represented Christ. 15:06 He was the Lamb, the sacrifice that was nailed to the cross. 15:11 So the ceremonial laws were taken 15:13 out of the way but not the moral law. 15:18 That's right, Charles. 15:20 All this discussion about the law 15:21 being done away with and has, in fact, 15:23 hurt the cause of Christ, His church and our communities. 15:28 God intends for His church to be a standard 15:30 that defends against the lawlessness of the world. 15:34 And the dismissal of God's moral law is partly 15:37 responsible for our social state of lawlessness. 15:40 It is, in fact, a lie palmed off 15:43 on us by the enemy of our souls. 15:46 God gave us a law. 15:48 It is still in force and important for our lives today. 15:51 And God himself told us why His law 15:54 is important for us in Deuteronomy 6. 16:13 God didn't give us a law just to be arbitrary. 16:16 He gave us the law for our good and good is important. 16:21 The assumption that the law is important is a safe one 16:25 because God Himself spoke it and wrote it down. 16:29 And since He tells us it's for our good, 16:31 now let's take a few moments to know 16:33 some of the good things that result from embracing 16:36 the law with an obedient heart. 16:39 The first is predictability. 16:42 Each of us enjoys a certain amount of spontaneity 16:45 and that's just fine. 16:46 But suppose the law of gravity was intermittent 16:49 and sometimes you woke up in the morning 16:51 on the ceiling rather than in bed, 16:55 without gravity we might spin off into space. 16:58 But just knowing that gravity 17:00 will always keep our car on the road, 17:02 that our drink of water will always stay in its glass, 17:05 makes life predictable and safe. 17:09 In the same way, God is predictable. 17:11 God and His law both operate on love, 17:16 on the principle of giving what is needed most. 17:20 That's a constant. 17:21 "For I am the Lord, I change not." 17:25 That's why His compassion never fails 17:28 and that's why our relationship with Him is predictable. 17:33 The next good thing the law provides to those 17:35 who are true in heart is education. 17:38 According to the Apostle Paul, the law teaches us 17:41 where the line is between what is good and what is sin. 17:46 And notice Paul's quoting from number 10 17:48 of the Ten Commandments to make this point. 17:51 To the mind of this follower of Christ, 17:54 the moral law is still valid and in force. 17:58 Another thing the law provides 18:00 that most people never think about is happiness. 18:04 Sin always causes death and separation, 18:08 both of which do nothing towards promoting 18:10 our happiness and peace. 18:13 But obedience to the law makes for happiness. 18:16 The wise man said, "he that keepeth the law, happy is he." 18:21 And Jesus was absolutely clear that happiness comes from doing 18:26 what He told us to, obeying His law of love. 18:31 The fourth thing the law provides is freedom. 18:34 Only in obedience to God's law do we find true liberty. 18:38 Freedom is most clearly seen in the power that God gives us 18:42 to do the right thing under every circumstance. 18:46 The next thing the law provides is proof. 18:50 Obedience to God's law is the proof that we love Him. 18:54 Many are fluent in lip service but doing what God says 18:59 proves our loyalty and our love. 19:02 And one more thing the law brings to the table 19:04 by way of blessing, the law is a change agent. 19:09 There's a great principle that says, 19:11 "by beholding we become changed." 19:14 When we look to the study, 19:16 predictable principles of the law of God asking 19:19 His will to be our will, we become like Him. 19:24 And so that's only six things 19:26 that the law brings to the table. 19:27 The six wonderful things we obtain 19:30 only through obedience to God's moral law. 19:34 And speaking of obedience to the lawly life, 19:37 there is one law that Jesus spoke of 19:38 that truly has relevance for every culture. 19:41 I think God actually placed it as part of our DNA. 19:44 That law is the golden rule found in Matthew 7:12. 19:49 The golden rule says, 19:50 "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." 19:53 But did you know that Jesus taught 19:55 that the "do" is defined by His law. 19:58 Check it out. 20:07 You don't want people lie to you don't lie to them. 20:10 That's the ninth commandment. 20:11 You don't want people to steal your things then don't steal. 20:14 That's the eighth commandment. 20:16 You don't want your spouse cheating 20:17 on you then don't commit adultery. 20:19 That's the seventh commandment. 20:21 You see, obedience to the law makes life safe, 20:24 predictable, and happy. 20:27 God's great principles are not merely 20:29 embodied in the Ten Commandments. 20:31 They are ultimately exemplified in the life of Christ. 20:34 It is His life of obedience to the law that becomes a mirror, 20:37 but how a mirror revealing the truth about our lives. 20:42 We don't just ask the question, what would Jesus do? 20:45 We ask the question, what did Jesus do? 20:48 What did He teach? What does He ask of us? 20:52 And one more thing about the "do" in the moral law 20:55 and the golden rule, it really is important to Jesus. 20:58 In fact, Jesus said, 21:00 "it determines where we spend eternity." 21:11 Now don't misunderstand what Jesus is saying here. 21:14 He's not saying that if you obey good enough 21:16 you have the right to heaven. 21:17 You and I have already sinned and the wages to sin is death. 21:20 And no amount of obedience will cancel that death. 21:23 We need Jesus' perfect obedience to the law 21:26 and His death on the cross to atone for our sins. 21:29 But now that He's paid the price, 21:32 Jesus wants us to live perfect lives. 21:35 New Testament doctrine clearly indicates 21:37 that the intention now is that the law will be fulfilled in us. 21:41 In fact, the new covenant is not 21:44 that the law's done away with, but that His moral law 21:47 will be written on our hearts. 21:51 You're right, Stephen. 21:52 We are not saved because we keep the law 21:54 but we can't be saved without keeping it. 21:57 On this Jesus is clear. 22:00 Again from Matthew 7:21. 22:12 The words "not" and "but" highlight the strong contrast 22:16 between the mere talker and the actual doer of God's will. 22:20 Mere profession is worthless. 22:23 He who pretends to know God and yet disobeys 22:25 His commandments is a liar. 22:28 For the New Testament believer the teaching of Jesus is clear 22:32 and that was the same teaching learned 22:34 and taught by Jesus' disciples. 23:03 And how did Jesus walk? 23:05 Here is how He walked in His own words. 23:08 John 15:10. 23:15 Based on that example, He says to each of us. 23:30 There's no lasting and eternal joy 23:33 outside total and complete obedience to God. 23:36 Not here nor in paradise. 23:39 Heaven wouldn't be heaven if the law was not embraced. 23:43 It wouldn't be safe. 23:45 That was why Satan could no longer stay there. 23:48 His lies were changing the atmosphere from one of peace 23:51 and joy to anxiety and confusion. 23:55 Interesting options. 23:57 Peace and joy or anxiety and confusion. 24:00 Seems like a simple choice. 24:03 And it is simple but because of the evilness 24:05 of our hearts it's not always easy. 24:08 That is, it's not easy unless you love God. 24:13 It's not easy unless you are experiencing 24:16 the gift of repentance. 24:18 So let's review. 24:20 First we learned that God is love. 24:25 And based on that solid foundational principle, 24:28 Jesus taught all law and all prophecy 24:31 is built on, is founded on love. 24:36 We also learned that God as well as his moral law are eternal. 24:41 Those laws He spoke to all 24:43 His chosen people at the foot of Mount Sinai. 24:47 And the teachings of Jesus are absolutely clear 24:51 that God's moral law cannot be changed. 24:55 And it is also the doctrine of Jesus 24:57 that if we would accept His offer to be His chosen people, 25:02 then that law is still binding on us as well. 25:06 That is, if we wish to abide in His love. 25:11 Some 3,500 years ago love thundered a law 25:15 from Mount Sinai that was designed by God to protect us, 25:19 to guide us, to make us safe and happy. 25:23 Every problem, every experience by man 25:26 is a direct result of someone breaking that law. 25:30 If Jesus is Lord that is our duty to accept 25:34 His life changing grace and so be obedient to His law of love. 25:40 This law cannot be changed. 25:42 And there's biblical proof that this law cannot be changed. 25:47 Come with me to another mountain where love thundered. 25:50 Not in Egypt or Saudi Arabia. 25:53 This is Mount Calvary, right here in Israel. 25:57 On this Mount our God 25:59 and Savior said, "I love you this much." 26:03 It was not the nail that held him there. 26:06 It was love and that love prayed for you. 26:17 He prayed for you. 26:19 If you would embraced that love, 26:21 that love that would leave the glory of heaven to die 26:25 in your behalf then embrace the teachings of Jesus. 26:29 "If you love me," Jesus said, "keep my commandments." 26:35 And His commandments are not burdensome. 26:38 There are lots of people who say, 26:40 "I love Jesus" but there is only 26:43 one way to know if you love Jesus. 26:47 1 John 5:2 says. 27:03 Jesus' teachings are clear. 27:06 If you want to enter into eternal life 27:08 you must keep the commandments. 27:10 If you find that you've been disobedient to His love 27:14 then ask Him for a new heart, a repentant heart. 27:18 And then say yes to Him with all your known choices. 28:07 Jesus taught that if we are not actively gathering souls 28:10 into the kingdom of heaven then we are actively scattering. 28:15 I'd like you to join us in causing some positive thunder 28:18 by deliberately giving Bible studies, 28:20 by sharing the teachings of our friend and Savior Jesus. 28:24 Learn more at QLP.TV. |
Revised 2014-12-17